1. William Wilkinson was probably the baby boy christened at Simonburn, Northumberland, 13 Apr 1726, son of Matthew and Margery (Thirlway) Wilkinson.[1] William was buried at Sadbury Hill, Northumberland, on 29 May 1789.[2]

William Wilkinson married Rebekah Charlton, Simonburn, Northumberland, 11 May 1760.[3] Rebekah was probably the baby girl christened 8 Feb 1740 in Bywell Saint Peter, Northumberland, daughter of Thomas and Catherine Charlton.[4] The IGI also gives the marriage location as Stannington, Northumberland, and both William’s and Rebekah’s birthplaces as Mortley, Northumberland.[5]

Other researchers say William’s wife was Ann Laidler, who was baptized 18 Jan 1728, Simonburn, daughter of William and Mary Laidler. If she was the mother of William’s children, then all the parents’ names were used for the couple’s children.

As more and more records become available on the Internet, it is to be hoped that more of William Wilkinson’s life in eighteenth-century northern England will be revealed to his descendants. One of the famous people of Northumberland listed at Wikipedia is Jonny Wilkinson, an English rugby player, [who] currently lives in rural Northumberland.

The following children of William Wilkinson, probably with a wife named Rebekah (Charlton) Wilkinson, were christened in Simonburn, Northumberland:

[1]Simonburn Parish Records of Northumberland Co (films #252551, 252552, 252572, 252553), located by Ramona Duff, Oct 1988, at SLC. Ramona wrote, “There was a christening for a William Wilkinson on 13 Apr 1726, son of Matthew Wilkinson and Margery Thirlway, but there were three William Wilkinsons born about the same time, so I don’t know if this one was ours.”